, 1887-10-22
IL 8 c ella 10 G o u 8
Spectator, 18th Sept.)

DR.. Tanner has succeeded in reducing the
right of question in the House of Commons
to an absurdity. On Thursday he actually
asked the Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs
this question,-"It is a fact that the frontier
between Turcomania and Afghanistan has
been so delimitated as to cave all the fords
on the Penideh, Murghab, &C., used by the
nomad pastoral tribes, in the hands of the
Russians?" Sir j. Ferguson, of course, re-
piled that it was not a fact, Turcomania
having no existence, and Penjdeh not being
a river; and some of our readers will decide
that DIR. Tanner is an inefficient Member.
They will be quite mistaken. The object of
his party being to discredit the House of
Commons, he is nearly the most efficient
Member in it.
The Comte de Paris has issued a lengthy
and important manifesto in Paris. He de-
clares that the electoral considerations
which govern the Chamber impede all efforts,
whether in finance, in foreign policy, or for
the maintenance of order, and expects from
these circumstances a grand crisis. He
directs his followers, therefore, in the Cham
Der to defend conservative interests and the
public fortune; but outside, ''to show France
how necessary Monarchy is to her, aud how
easy would be its establishment" In
vain has the Congress proclaimed the eter-
nifty of the Republic. What one Congress
has done another Congress can undo" The
Comte expects that a violent crisis will arise.
and that from it the Monarchy will emerge,
and pledges himself, if it does, either to sub
NIT to the verdict of a Constituent Assembly,
or to take a ptebiscite. He would prefer the
latter, as being speedier, and has no fear of
the result. This is a most unexpected de.
claration, the Legitimists, whose head the
COmtn 0n PorIE 10 h. vin0 h;+lar+o oI--o-o
maintained the absolute right of the eldest
Bourbon to reign by virtue of his historic
claim. He is indeed, in their eyes, King
even when not ~reigning. The Comte, how
ever, adopts the C@sarist theory, hoping,
no doubt, to conciliate all Bonapartists and
those R~epublicansSwho hold popular election
the only legitimate source of power. He is
apparently unmindful that in making this
concession he has altered the very nature of
his title, and completely justified any oppo-
nent who can secure a ptebiscite.
The Comte de Paris proceeds to describe
the Constitution he will promulgate. 1t diff
fers but little in essence from that of Prussia.
There will be a Chamber elected by univer-
sal suffrage, and a Senate partly elective and
partly nominated; but both will have limited
powers. Both must agree with each other and
the King, to do anything important. The
regular Budget and taxation will be voted in
perpetuity. the Ministry will not resign. if
defeated in the Chamber, and "the Deputies,
being no longer able to raise to power or to
overthrowthe Ministers, will not exercise that
disastrous influence which is as fatal 30 the
Assembly as to the Administration" The
Monarchy will tighten "the military bur-
dens which are at present running Eu-
rope for the benefit of other quarters of
the globe" will guarantee respect to
the clergy, will restore liberty of education,
will give the Army q single and an immoyea-